“B Civil”

Join us for a talk with speaker John Mowitt, Professor Emeritus in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies.

“This talk derives from my current book project, Tunings: Essays, Instruments, Worlds for which it serves as the conclusion.

“Since my remarks will call up earlier moments in the book directly familiarity with same is not presupposed. Seen from space this study attempts to contribute to ongoing, indeed long underway, treatments of the political character of musical sounds, expressly including thinking and writing on said sounds.

“As the title makes plain, the book’s contribution concentrates on the practice of bringing instruments into accord in preparation for an act of performance.

“However, following Leo Spitzer’ rendering of the German term Stimmung as “world harmony,” the project discloses its sustained preoccupation with what might better be termed attunement, a displacement that allows one to attend to how essays can be, as we say, on music; how instruments can be perceived as playing with one another; and how such playing calls worlds into contact and collision.

“Throughout the study the accord sought in attunement is presented as a practice of civility even in the face of the defining disagreement (mésentente) Etienne Balibar links to the essence of political life.

“This talk walks through the reasons for attuning civility and attunement and the value of doing so.”

About the speaker

John Mowitt is Emeritus Professor of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds. He is the author of seven books, most recently, Offering Theory: Reading in Sociography. His most recent essay, “To Riff: an Intransigent Verb,” appeared earlier this year in the journal Riff. A study of the obstinacy of ostinatos, it too worries about the politics of musical sounds. He is a Leo, or a Dragon, depending.

More information

This event is part of ARTFUL – a new series of public lunchtime talks organised by the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies.

The aim of the series is to bring together students, postgraduate researchers and staff to showcase our culture of vibrant research and creative practice across the school and beyond. Taking place on Mondays during termtime, speakers will include researchers, artists and practitioners.

Whilst primarily aimed at our school community, anyone interested in the series is welcome to join us. There is no need to book – please just turn up.

Full details of the ARTFUL talks series can be found on our events pages.

For more information, please email Mark Thorley at M.Thorley1@leeds.ac.uk.

Directions to the venue

See the campus map for location of the Liberty Building.

Directions (facing away from Parkinson steps): Follow the path to your right then turn right underneath the link building. Go all the way through campus until you reach the Clarendon Road entrance. Cross over at the traffic lights onto Moorland Road. Follow the road down. The Liberty Building is on your left.

Go through the main entrance and go straight ahead through two sets of double doors up to level one. The Moot Court Lecture Theatre (LT 1.28) is on your right.

Accessibility information for the Moot Court Lecture Theatre can be found here.

Image

Tuning an acoustic guitar. Photo by Pavel Danilyuk.